Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Green Party
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Hone Harawira
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John Banks
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Kevin Hague
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Legal highs
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Parliament
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Psychoactive Substances Amendment Bill
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Unanimity
Parliament was deprived of a rare opportunity yesterday. The Psychoactive Substances Amendment Bill passed through all its stages in Parliament by 107 votes to nil; almost unanimity. However the Green Party's 14 votes were recorded as abstentions.
The Greens have tried to rationalise their decision to abstain from making a decision because of their concern for creating a black market for synthetic cannabis. That, in our ever-humble opinion is an absolute cop-out. Kevin Hague suggested that the legislation should be evidence-based; where has he been for the last few months as the evidence of the harm that the new generation of "legal highs" has been doing has been there for all to see.
We elect a Parliament to lead us, not to opt out of decision-making as the Greens did yesterday. Even John Banks, the only MP to vote against "legal highs" last year because of his opposition to animal testing voted in favour of yesterday's legislation. Even Hone Harawira, who will daily see the harm that legal highs are doing in his electorate, voted with the Government.
If the Greens felt that strongly about the legislation that they could not support it, then they should have voted against it, and had their "no" vote recorded for time immemorial in Hansard. Instead they took the path of less resistance; neither for nor against, and not prepared to make a decision.
This is an issue we feel strongly about. The children of two friends are currently battling addiction to synthetic cannabis, and as well as the damage they drugs have done to the young people involved, the harm caused to the families has been profound. Previously well-behaved teenagers have turned into nightmares for their parents as they do whatever they can to get the coin for their next fix. We won't go into detail but some of the behaviour has even shocked senior police who have been involved.
Parliament could have been united in its desire to rid New Zealand of this insidious menace yesterday. Sadly, the Greens would not come to the party. Their decision to abstain yesterday was deeply disappointing.
